Name: "Vincent"/Don McLean
Uploaded: 2023-06-15T05:34:39.656Z
Duration: 3 min 28 s
Description: Fingerstyle version of Don McLean's hit "Vincent" ("Starry, Starry Night")

Fingerstyle version of Don McLean's hit "Vincent" ("Starry, Starry Night")


Acoustic Guitar

Study the style of music you enjoy with a knowledgeable, qualified Guitar Instructor w/an extensive background of recording, touring, & teaching experience.
 Learn to jam to your favorite song & artist while improving your technical skills & musical knowledge.

"Vincent"/Don McLean 

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Music Theory

Guitar

Music Performance

Country Guitar

Blues Guitar

Flamenco Guitar

Classical Guitar

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Best of 2014

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Pennsylvania State Certification Guitar Playing Proficiency 
Pennsylvania State Certification Piano Playing Proficiency

Guitar Playing Proficiency

Mark W.     
                                   
 
Teaching Philosophy:
 
I provide an extensive knowledge to those students serious about advancing their skills & abilities on guitar. Students will greatly benefit from my background as a touring & recording artist of over 25 years experience, as well as my years of teaching thousands of individual private lessons. All amps, cables, and music stands provided @ my teaching studio.
 I use a variety of standard& time proven methods such as Hal Leonard & Mel Bay (as well as custom hand-outs),  while incorporating a number of new materials according to the student's musical direction.
  Carulli, Serrano, Carcassi, & Sor are used for finger/classical styles, while traditional jazz literature such as Berklee & Mickey Baker books are used for Jazz. Pieces and compositions are introduced to motivate and inspire one's study of the guitar, while also introducing vital musical concepts and techniques.
 
 
 
 
Music Education:
 
Private studies Richard Zerby 1981-83.
Private studies Bill Schultz 1983-86.
Private studies Glenn Lyons/David Cullen 1986-89, 93-95, 98-2001.
B.M. Classical Guitar(West Chester University 2001).
Private studies w/various instructors including Joe Stump (via correspondence), Alex Skolnick (American Institute of Guitar, Manhattan NYC), Adam Del Monte (correspondence), Muriel Anderson (2016-present)
 
 
 
Teaching Experience:
 
1987-89 Beginning/Rock Guitar at Donohues Music ( Thorndale , PA )
 
1989-90 Beginning/Rock Guitar at Gwinnett Music (Gwinnet,GA)
 
1990-91 Beginning/Rock Guitar at Georges Music ( Spring City , PA )
 
1990-92 Rock/Shred Guitar at Beams Music (Malvern,PA)
 
1992-96  Rock, fingerstyle, shred styles (home studio at Skippack, PA)
 
1996-99 Music/music therapy at Devereux Foundation for disadvantaged youths (Berwyn,PA)
 
2000-01 Rock, fingerstyle/classical, shred styles (home studio at NYC)
 
2001-2002 Beginning/Rock Guitar at Gwinnett Music (Gwinnet,GA)
 
2001-2002  Rock,country Guitar at Teds' Pro Music (Gainesville,GA)
 
2001-2007  Rock, fingerstyle/classical, country, metal/shred styles (home studio at Gainesville,GA).
 
2002-07 Rock, fingerstyle/classical, country & blues, shred styles at Ponce De Leon music Studios (Cumming GA).
 
 
 

 
 
2007-2008 Rustic Music (Metal, rock, blues, fingerstyle) Staten Island ,NYC
 
2007-2008 Richmond Music (Classical, country, rock, fingerstyle) .  Prepared students for recitals at Carnegie Hall ( Manhattan ).
 
2007-2009 Victory Music Studios (Classical, fingerstyle, country, pop, rock).
 
2007-2009    Rock, blues/jazz, classical at Julias' Performing Arts School and Little Shop Studios (NYC)
 
2007-2010    Rock/metal, fingerpicking, country, classical at home studio (NYC)
 
Nov. 2009-Oct. 2010 Ponce De Leon Music Center (Gainesville, GA) classical, country, blues, shred, rock
 
Jan 2010- Jan 2011 Teaching Classical Guitar at Atlanta Academy of Music
 
Nov. 2009-Present: Home studio (Gainesville); substitute music teacher for Chestatee Middle & High School, as well as North Hall High School (Hall County,GA).
 
 
 
Professional Credits:
 
On National Guitar Teachers Registry of such notable sites as: Mel Bay, Whole Note, NYC & Philadelphia Guitar Teachers registry.
 
Wrote, recorded, and performed all music for the gothic metal band "Wykked Wytch" the internationally acclaimed debut album "Something Wykked This Way Comes", best-selling album for Demolition (UK) records.
 
Wrote, recorded, and performed all music for the extreme metal band "Carnivean" debut album "In Todes Banden".
 
Wrote and contributed music for the soundtrack to Wave Productions'  movie "Psycho Sisters".
 
Wrote and recorded the music for Hash Productions demo (video game company based out of Washington, DC).
 
Wrote and contributed music for the soundtrack to Wave Productions'  movie "Dead Kids Society".
 
Toured/Appeared on bills with over 120 international acts worldwide and in clubs as diverse as CBGB's ( Manhattan , NY ) to the Whiskey ( Los Angeles , CA ).
 
Selected by Savatage (Trans-Siberian Orchestra) to open for them at The Birch Hill (NJ)for their only east coast gig in 1997.
 
Music has been featured and also reviewed favorably in many notable international music publications.
 
Music has been featured on regional, national, and international radio broadcasts.
 
Featured on Front Page Cover Story in Wall Street Journal (musicians & copyright legalities) 1999.
 
Performed solo, duets, trios, quartets, quintets at West Chester University Guitar Ensembles.
 
Performed for "Ponce De Leon Music Studios" TV commercials throughout the southeastern U.S. on various cable networks (MTV, Lifetime, Nickelodeon, Weather Channel, CTV, etc).
 
Soloist at various religious/educational/wedding functions in the Atlanta & surrounding areas July 2010-present. Duties include: classical guitar pieces/solos performed for church services, weddings, school events/functions, and assisted living entertainment.
 
Taught and conducted Band & Choral Students at North Hall & Chestatee Middle Schools, as well as Chestatee High Schools.
 
Past students have been accepted, received scholarships, performed at Carnegie Hall, graduated from music schools and conservatories such as La Guardia Performing Arts School (NYC), Musicians Institute Technology (Los Angeles), University of Georgia, Berklee (Boston ,MA), AIM (Atlanta School of Music), North Georgia State College, and West Chester University.

Guitar Instructor

Taught and instructed students from various boroughs in NYC. Assembled year end concerts where each student would perform various pieces and compositions at the school year recital.

Guitar Teacher

Spanish

English

I especially like how Mark says learn the barre chords, but here's how to play that note not using barre.

Felt comfortable with him from the start, very knowledgeable and knows how to teach! Will be with him a long time! Very happy!

So much experience and knowledge. I feel confident after first lesson. Loving it!

Mark is a fantastic teacher.  He is very patient and  positive at all times.  My teenage daughter and I both take lessons and he is very comfortable with our different learning styles and speeds.  I particularly appreciate his focus on teaching from real songs.  His attention to detail is great and I am always impressed that he is teaching us to listen and decode the chords, the strums and subtle little moments in the music.  I highly recommend Mark - even for 50-something beginners like myself.

Mark has a systematic way of teaching guitar. He is teaching me fundementals of the fret board so I can understand this amazing instrument.  I have homework every week and he has taught me how to practice, he is a thoughtful, gifted musician and I am so glad. Found him.

Mark is intuitive, talented and quite smart.  He assessed my skill level and worked patiently to teach me new finger picking techniques.  I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson.  I learned so many new things and I cannot wait to go practice my guitar.

Mark is very good. I'm fortunate to have an instructor of his caliber.  He is patient with me and explains why we practice the the that we do.

Bill P

Mark played for my wedding, and I was incredibly impressed. I had certain musical portions of my wedding pre-arranged, but those plans ended up falling apart. Mark was able to pick up and play beautiful music right when I needed him to. His flexibility and willingness to go the extra mile helped make my wedding as successful as it was! He really saved the day, and I'm so thankful he was there! If I couldn't have him at other future events, I would be happy to take any of his students because I know they would have learned from one of the best.

Mark played at my wedding with tremendous ability.  He was very professional and adaptable to the requests made.  Mark shows extreme proficiently in all areas of guitar and would be a formidable teacher in any musical pursuit.

Mr. Mark has been such a wonderful acoustic guitar instructor.  I have learned so much in a short amount of time. He is very enthusiastic and educated with music.

My daughter has been taking lessons from Mark for several months.  She is doing great.  She enjoys the lessons and looks forward to them each week.  Mark is a fantastic teacher and keeps the lessons interesting and entertaining by understanding the music she enjoys and relating with her on that level.  I highly recommend him as a teacher.

I've been taking guitar lessons across the country since 1975, and Mark is the best instructor I've ever had. His expertise on the instrument is only surpassed by his ability to make something complicated appear simple for the student. I've had more fun taking lessons and practicing in the past 6 months as Mark's student than I have in the previous 40 years. I highly recommend him.

I've been taking guitar lessons since 1975, and have probably had 30-40 different instructors across the country. Mark is the BEST guitar teacher I have ever had. His tremendous depth of knowledge is only equaled by his ability to deliver it in a way that anyone can understand. I highly recommend him.

Actually learning guitar!

"I don't know how I got so lucky to find one of the few teachers in the area that not only enjoys playing but also teaches flamenco guitar. Mark is enthusiastic, knowledgeable, multi-talented and endlessly patient, a crucial quality for a thick-headed adult student like me. He takes his work seriously and conducts himself very professionally, but still manages to make every lesson a lot of fun. Amazingly, I am learning to play the guitar, which I never thought I could. Highly recommended."

Blues Guitar

Mark is a great teacher he has given me a great base to build from, Even though I have never read music his ability to add that into our lessons has helped greatly in understanding what I am learning. Mark is talented and easy to follow in his teaching. He tailors the lessons to your abilities while moving along quickly. Best of all he takes the time to review your progress and answer all your questions. Could not be happier with him as my teacher.

"Spanish Fly"/Van Halen

My rendition of Muriel's "It Never Gets Easier" from her "Hometown Live" album

Mark W.

"Vincent"/Don McLean

Mark's Acoustic Guitar videos

"Spanish Fly"/Van Halen

"It Never Gets Easier"/Muriel Anderson